Wiener index and Steiner 3-Wiener index of a graph

Abstract

Let $S$ be a set of vertices of a connected graph $G$. The Steiner distance of $S$ is the minimum size of a connected subgraph of $G$ containing all the vertices of $S$. The sum of all Steiner distances on sets of size $k$ is called the Steiner $k$-Wiener index, hence for $k=2$ we get the Wiener index. The modular graphs are graphs in which every three vertices $x, y$ and $z$ have at least one median vertex $m(x,y,z)$ that belongs to shortest paths between each pair of $x, y$ and $z$. The Steiner 3-Wiener index of a modular graph is expressed in terms of its Wiener index. As a corollary formulae for the Steiner 3-Wiener index of Fibonacci and Lucas cubes are obtained.